Jeypore: Maharaja Vikram Dev Verma played a crucial role in merging Jeypore with independent Utkal Pradesh, setting aside his personal comforts and dedicating himself to the nation and its people. Even before ascending the throne, Vikram Dev established the Odia society in Visakhapatnam and became a guardian for Odias living in the Madras Presidency. His sole objective was the upliftment of Odisha and the Odia language.
Jeypore remained separate from Utkal, but Vikram Dev argued that it was an Odia-dominated region and an integral part of Odisha. He tirelessly worked towards its merger with Utkal Pradesh.
During the first session of the Utkal Sammilani on December 30, 1903, the demand for forming Odisha by integrating the Odia-speaking southern regions was presented. However, the Madras government opposed this move. Consequently, on July 19, 1905, the then Viceroy ordered that Ganjam and Visakhapatnam districts would remain with Madras.
Vikram Dev strongly opposed this and, from the very first session of Utkal Sammilani, continued to demand a separate province for Odias and the merger of disconnected Odia-speaking regions. Kumar Vidyadhar Singh Deo supported him in this effort.
Under Vikram Dev’s leadership, the 10th session of Utkal Sammilani was held in Paralakhemundi on December 22, 1914, where demands were raised for the use of Odia language in schools and courts. The “Philip-Duff Committee” visited various places in Ganjam and Visakhapatnam, gathering public opinion and submitting its report to the government. Due to Vikram Dev’s efforts, the commission acknowledged the legitimacy of the Odia people’s demand.
In 1931, the British government appointed a committee under ICS officer Sir Samuel O’Donnell to determine Odisha’s boundaries. Historical, social, and linguistic evidence was presented to support the inclusion of Ganjam district and the entire Jeypore estate in Odisha. However, on December 24, 1931, Maharaja Vikram Dev argued that merging Jeypore with Utkal would weaken it financially and that deforestation in the region would cause Andhra to face droughts. The government’s official white paper did not initially include Jeypore in Utkal Pradesh.
Despite resistance, Vikram Dev persisted, emphasizing Jeypore’s deep ties with Odisha, the affinity of its tribal population towards the Odia language, and the limited number of Telugu speakers. His detailed analysis concluded that except for the Srikakulam taluk, the entire Ganjam district and Jeypore estate should be integrated into Odisha.
Finally, Vikram Dev’s vision was realized. According to the report of the Joint Parliamentary Committee published on November 22, 1934, Jeypore was merged with Utkal. On April 1, 1936, Odisha became a separate province, including six districts: Cuttack, Puri, Balasore, Sambalpur, Ganjam, and Koraput. The entire state expressed gratitude to leaders like Godabarish Mishra and Gopal Krishna Praharaj for their contributions to this historic achievement.